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What to do if you lack self discipline · Honoring My Temple

• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Honoring My Temple podcast.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: If you're looking to put God at the center of your life and live that out practically through your health, habits, and everyday choices, this podcast is for you.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Kelly Wenner, founder of Soul Strength Fit and author of Honoring My Temple.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: Here we explore biblical wisdom and how to apply it to real life, your mindset, food, exercise, and the habits that shape who you're becoming.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get started.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Someone asked me, what if I just don't have self-discipline?
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: And I told you there were two words that came to mind and that I wanted you to remember practice and preparation.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: We've talked quite a bit about preparation, creating structure, making a plan, removing some of the decisions that tend to trip us up.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: But preparation can only take us so far.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: At some point, we have to practice.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I think this is where we sometimes misunderstand self-discipline.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: We talk about it as though it's something some people naturally have and the rest of us simply don't.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: But self-discipline is something we grow into.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: And one of the ways we grow in it is incredibly simple.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: We practice it.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: Knowing isn't the same as doing.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: And doing something once isn't the same as becoming the kind of person who lives that way.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: Most of us don't need more information.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: We know exercise is good for us.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: We know vegetables are good for us.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: We know we need protein.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: We know that sleep matters.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: We know that spending an entire evening on the couch eating something straight out of the bag probably is not moving us towards our goals.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Knowing isn't usually the problem.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: The question is, how does what I know become the way I actually live?
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: And beyond that, how does it become part of who I am?
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: How do I become a person who is increasingly self-controlled, disciplined, wise, faithful?
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: I think part of the answer is practice.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: Because when it comes to our health, most of us aren't struggling to make lasting changes because we haven't found the right workout program or because we don't know which foods are good for us.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: We struggle because knowing what to do and consistently doing them are two very different things.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: Lasting change requires something deeper.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: We're talking about our character.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: And character isn't transformed in an instant, it's formed over time.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: When we read the Gospels, we do see Jesus heal people's bodies in an instant.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: But when we watch him form the character of his disciples, we see something different.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: Think about Peter.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus didn't meet Peter and instantly remove his impulsiveness, his fear, his pride, or all his misunderstandings.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: Peter practiced, Peter failed, Jesus restored him, and Peter kept following.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: Over time, Peter became a different man.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus didn't say the wise person is the one who hears his words and agrees with them.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: He said the wise person hears his words and puts them into practice.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: There's action involved.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, Jesus is talking about something much bigger here than whether we exercise or make healthy choices.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: But the character he's developing in us reaches into every area of our lives.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: Any area where we want to become more loving, wise, patient, or self-controlled requires us to practice living that way.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: And that includes the way we care for our bodies, the choices we make around food, whether we follow through on the commitments we've made, whether we allow our feelings and impulses to determine what we do.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: Most of that growth happens slowly.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's incremental.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: We may not notice much difference from one day to the next, but every time we practice making a wise choice, exercising self-control, or following through when we'd rather not, we're practicing the kind of character we want to develop.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Depending on God doesn't mean being passive.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: We need his strength.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: We need his spirit.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: We need his wisdom.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: We need him to convict us, teach us, and change our desires.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: But we also have a part to play.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: There are choices that are ours to make and actions that are ours to take.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: We put on the shoes, we make the meal, we open the Bible, we turn off the television, we stop eating when we've had enough.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: We apologize.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: We choose patience when we're frustrated.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: We go to bed at a good time.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: We say no when we need to say no.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: We practice.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: Practice is how what we know becomes how we live and over time shapes who we become.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus said that the person who hears his words and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: And really, anything meaningful that we want to build in our lives requires practice.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: Our marriages, our parenting, our faith.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: Being a loving and patient spouse requires practice.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: Guiding and connecting with our children requires practice.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Choosing faith over fear requires practice.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: Praying in every circumstance requires practice.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: And becoming wise and self-controlled in the way we care for our bodies requires practice.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: And this is actually one of the reasons I've included four weekly practices in my fall reset.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: Fasting, purposeful growth, time and community, and Sabbath, because each one gives us an opportunity to practice that matters.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: Fasting is practice.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: We practice saying no to an appetite rather than automatically obeying it.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: Purposeful growth is practice.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: We intentionally expose ourselves to ideas that help us learn and mature instead of assuming growth will happen automatically.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: Community is practice.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: We practice showing up, investing in relationships, encouraging other people, and allowing ourselves to be encouraged by them.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: And Sabbath is practice.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: We practice rest and renewal, trusting God enough to stop, and remembering that life is about more than what we accomplish.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: We make space for his presence.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: These aren't just four more things to add to a checklist.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: Each one gives us an opportunity to practice the kind of character we want to develop.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Each one gives us an opportunity to practice who we want to be.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: And yet, I don't think we often think about becoming more like Jesus in our everyday lives as something that requires practice.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we think following Jesus means simply asking, what would Jesus do?
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: When we're suddenly faced with a difficult decision or a moment that requires patience, love, or self-control.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: But becoming more like Jesus doesn't begin in that moment.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus himself lived a life filled with practices that kept him connected to his father and prepared him to do his father's will.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: He prayed, he fasted, he withdrew to rest.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: He lived in close community with others.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: So if we want to become more like Jesus, it makes sense that we would follow him not only in what he did in the difficult moments that we're gonna face, but in the way that he lived day after day.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: We practice some of the same things he practiced.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: And over time, with the help of the Holy Spirit, those practices help form our character so that when the difficult moment comes, we're better prepared to respond differently.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: Think about running a marathon.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: Let's say you haven't been exercising consistently and you're definitely not a runner, but you decide you want to run 26.2 miles, you wouldn't put on your running shoes tomorrow morning, walk out the door, and just try really hard to run a marathon.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: You couldn't do it.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: Running a marathon isn't impossible.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: But in your current condition, it's impossible for you.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: So what would you do?
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: You would train, you'd start where you are.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you would run a mile, and then you'd keep running, you'd gradually add distance, you'd get stronger, your endurance would grow.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: And after months of training, something has changed.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: You've changed.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: You've become a person capable of doing something that once seemed impossible.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: Running 26.2 miles will still be hard, but you're no longer the same person who walked out the door on day one.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I think there's something important here for those of us who want to become more like Jesus.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: We don't become more loving, patient, forgiving, wise, or self-controlled through biblical knowledge and willpower alone.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: We train, we practice, we repeatedly put the things Jesus teaches us into practice.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: And over time, with the help and power of the Holy Spirit, we change.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: We become increasingly able to live in ways that may have once felt incredibly difficult or even impossible.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: I can see this in my own life.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: And Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount not to worry.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: I know that teaching.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: I've read it countless times.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: But knowing that Jesus tells me not to worry doesn't automatically make me a person who never worries.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: Worry can still follow me around like a shadow.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: The what ifs start, my thoughts race.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: I can feel it physically.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: My pulse rises, my jaw tightens, my stomach starts to hurt.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: So what do I do?
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: I practice.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: I practice turning those thoughts into prayer.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: I use breath prayers to bring my attention back to God.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: I reach out to people I trust instead of sitting alone with my thoughts.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: I journal.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: I practice gratitude.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: I limit my caffeine, even when I'd really like another cup of coffee.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: I'm practicing a different response.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not waiting until trusting God feels natural.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: I'm practicing trust so that over time it becomes a more natural way for me to respond.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: And every time I do, I'm learning a little bit more about what it looks like to trust God instead of allowing worry to control me.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: And we need to understand that this kind of formation takes time.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: A lifetime, really.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: We live in a world that has conditioned us to want results quickly.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: We want the shortcut.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: We want the transformation.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: We want to wake up tomorrow and somehow be the person we know we want to become.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: But becoming more like Jesus is a lifelong process.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: We walk with the Spirit, we depend on His strength, we listen when He convicts us, we get things wrong.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: We get back up and we try again and we keep practicing.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: And little by little God changes us.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: We become more loving, more patient, more peaceful, and yes, more self-controlled, more able to live out the wisdom we already know.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: It may take years to see some of the changes we're praying for, but that's okay.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: We're not looking for an overnight transformation.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: We're committing ourselves to a lifetime of becoming more like Christ.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: And so for now, we continue to practice.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: And that's really what I want to encourage you to do this week.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: Practice.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: Don't wait until you feel more disciplined.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: Don't wait until the wise choice becomes the easy choice.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: Choose what you know matters.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: Ask God for the strength to follow through and practice doing it.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: Every time you do, you're building something.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: And you may not see a dramatic difference from one day to the next, but remember, that's how formation works.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: Little by little, with God's help, we change.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: And next time, we're going to dig into those four weekly practices that I'm committing to as part of my fall reset: fasting, purposeful growth, community, and Sabbath, and talk about what they can actually look like in our lives.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: So until then, keep practicing.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: Make it a great week.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll talk to you next time.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for spending this time with me.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: To learn more, visit SoulStrengthFit.com.